I Am
by Lady Avarice
Summary: With every trip along the Coil something new is learned. She has walked along this path many times. Now it is time to start again.
1. Prologue

She remembered her many lives. Of all the ones she's lived a few of the most recent stood out.

Rachel.

Tara.

Jean.

And what was her most treasured of all, Lily.

She had been in turn a warrior, a follower, a leader, a ravager and a mother.

In all her lives, only as Lily had she borne a child from her own body, temporary though it was.

The love and light in those beautiful green eyes helped her when the span of space became too long and lonely.

One of the Lessers watched over him now, as a favor to her. Though she could not be with him physically, a part of her always would be and he would always be protected by one of her kind.

He had even named one of his own children after her in that life.

Her little boy had made her so happy.

She had thought it impossible to be so completely happy after she had experienced the depth of darkness in her life as Jean. It had taken all the power she had shoved into her temporary shell to stop the madman from killing him when he had destroyed her link to her shell.

She would have died in truth for that little life a hundred times over.

Her travels took her through dimensions and realities, worlds and universes.

But always she would come back to this tiny blue planet, teeming with life.

Toomin had spoken truly when he called the Earth a remarkable treasure.

Her time spanning the cosmos was growing weary again, and she wanted to once more tread the Coil as one of them, live a life with others, and perhaps be a mother again.

Not as a human this time, the thought of that when her human son was so close and yet so far hurt too much.

One of the Others brushed against her awareness.

Perhaps a small deal could be brokered.

"_You mourn for your children."_

"_How can I not?"_

"_I would help you, if you would help me."_

"_To what end?"_

"_I wish to live again, walk the mortal coil for a time."_

"_And in exchange?"_

"_You know I am Life. I would bring back the three lost on Earth, help where I can, and fix the folly of the Dynasty."_

"_What was their folly?"_

"_They gave to the boy, but not his intended. It will slowly but surely destroy him. I have lived a life like that. It is not a curse I would wish on an enemy, let alone an ally."_

"_And your solution?"_

There was gentle laughter down the link, like warm breezes and sunlight and fluffy down feathers.

"_I am Life."_

"_You offer much for little gain."_

"_It is gain enough for me."_

She felt the other presence warm as his aura buffeted gently against hers.

"_I would have let you join them without any return, Life. All you had to do was ask."_

She smiled and brushed his aura with a sense of peace and contentment.

"_I know that, Temperance, but it would not sit well with me. A life along the Coil can teach much. I am best as a Healer, and perhaps a Voice."_

"_So you are."_

The energies of the two beings spread and joined, flaring in a brilliant display of power.

"_**The accord between us two, Phoenix and Primus, has been agreed and granted. To help heal the children of Primus, Phoenix shall walk the Coil as one of his own for as long as her life as such can last. So say we both, so mote it be."**_

* * *

"Wow, look at that 'Bee. There's never been an Aurora this intense this far south! And with the full moon up too!"

"There were no spots or fields detected by any equipment. I wonder what's causing it."

"Sure is pretty though."

"True enough. Kind of makes me feel tiny."

The chuckled softly, never taking his eyes off the cosmic light show.

On a hill top on a tiny planet called earth, two different species watched the display of color and light against the night sky.

For just a moment they could have sworn they saw a bird in the dancing lights and hear a cry of joy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~*~several miles away~*~

The ground shook as the volcano rumbled in its sleep. A vent let loose a glowing river of rock that hissed as it touched the nearby stream.

A snap, a crack, and the flow of rock was cut off, the hole sealed again.

And where the rock had broken away from the green-covered hillside a shiny mass of metal, tangled in the roots and vines of the many trees, was bathed in moonlight.


	2. Ch 1: Awake

AN: **Bold is Cybertronian**, _Italics is telepathy and thought_.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Optimus, sir."

"I hear you Hound. What is it?"

"I've checked out the volcano, it's calm again, just a small vent. But the oddest thing, ……"

"What?"

"A Cybertronain was unearthed from the activity, tangled up in the roots and such. For this much growth the chassis should be nothing but rusted metal, but it's still gleaming like new, none of the vines have worked through the outer armor."

"Can you free it? Bring it back to base?"

"With a little help, certainly. It's about as big as I am. There's another thing though."

"Yes?"

"From what I can see, I think it's a femme."

"…… I'm sending Mirage to help you extricate the chassis. I know it's a moot point, but can you scan for a spark?"

"Already have. It's in stasis, sir. I don't know whether it can be brought back online, but for now it's alive."

In the control room of the new Autobot base Optimus Prime could only lean back in his chair in shock and let the news move through his processor.

"Dear Primus, what have we found?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"_Where am I?"_

"_Do not worry. It is just before your Waking."_

"_So warm."_

"_You are near a volcano."_

"_That was kind of you."_

"_Rest now. Soon you will wake again."_

"_Many thanks, my friend."_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"She almost looks to be in recharge."

"For all intents, that's what she is. Your scanners are better than mine, what can you tell?"

"Adult femme, healthy spark, roughly your size but a more slender build, flyer, no injuries to frame, no dents, from what I can see no severed lines. The only things that are wrong are that she's tangled in this organic matter and in deep recharge."

"If we're safe to, let's move her out of there and call for pick-up. The sooner Ratchet gets a look at her, the sooner we can try to get her back online again."

Four hours later three Cybertronians were towed out of Hawaii by way of Spartan jet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Careful! Load her carefully on to the stretcher; I want her in my med bay ASAP!"

Slowly the convoy of bots came off the large jet, balancing the stretcher between them. Later afternoon light glinted off red and gold armor, making it look as if it were on fire.

More than one mech stopped to stare at the inert form.

Finally Ratchet had enough.

A barrage of wrenches later and the femme was safely in the med bay and the doors closed to nosy mechs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I have never seen anything like this."

The data pad in his hands held all the information he'd gathered so far. Fibier-optic feathers, duranium blades on fingers and feet, inner workings that were delicate and complex and somehow elegantly refined.

"It is as if Primus himself made you."

A spike on one of the machines caught his attention. Her spark was brighter even than most femmes, edged in a sort of gold that glowed with heat.

"It seems you are only in recharge, but if that is true you would have woken on your own by now. What else is going on?"

The medic in him was entranced by the workings and systems displayed on his screens, for the moment ignoring the still chassis.

* * *

"_What would it take to re-enspark the two nearest you?"_

"_Just a jolt and two bits of loose down will fly free. I will guide them."_

"_Hmm, perhaps it is time for that one law to come into effect. What was it, Murphy's?"_

"_You do love to torment your children, don't you?"_

"_Have to keep them on their toes as it were. You do realize you are housed in a metal shell."_

"_Of course, but my nature cannot be entirely suppressed by my shell. Do not worry."_

"_Will it be immediate?"_

"_No, some things must be done first. But it will call them back, make them ready."_

"_Soon then?"_

"_Yes, I promise. And for him too."_

* * *

"SLAG!"

Ratchet darted forward as one corner of the table suddenly lurched, one of the legs having broken off. He was barely able to grab it before the sleeping form was dumped to the ground.

As he righted the table a loose electric connection snapped, bumping the table and shocking the mech into shaking it, and the femme.

The zap was audible, as was the brief burst of energy where the electricity jumped from the table to her hide. The medic missed, however, the two tiny bits of orange glow that drifted towards the still forms covered by sheets in the back of the med bay.

"Slagging piece of junk, I warned those twins about rough housing in my med bay and damaging equipment."

"Hmm?"

"What?"

The medic stood from where he'd been shoving a metal crate under the table to support it and stared at the red armored body. For a moment he thought he'd thought he'd imagined the soft questioning sound. Then the hand nearest him twitched.

"**Hello?**"

Gently he took the smaller hand in his, rubbing the back, trying to get a response.

"**Can you hear me? I am Autobot Medic Ratchet**."

Another soft sound and a twitch of the hand.

"**Can you hear me**?"

* * *

'_I am…'_

Warmth-safety-kin.

'_I am…'_

"**Can you hear me**?"

'_I am…'_

"**Please, wake up. I am Autobot Medic Ratchet**."

'_I am…. awake!'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"**Mmm, hello**?"

Hazy green optics unshuttered, focusing on the form in front of them.

Ratchet didn't think he'd seen such a peaceful look since Bumblebee was a sparkling. He watched as the optics focused and became more aware. The hand in his lightly squeezed back.

"**Hello, Autobot Medic Ratchet. I am Firebird**."


	3. Ch 2: Manners

His children were amusing, she had to admit. They could play up the stoic and diplomatic facades, but she could still see how awkward they were with the environment, their human allies and the sheer mass of organic life around them.

Still, they got points for dealing so well.

"Is there something you needed, Firebird?"

"No, just watching and observing their interactions."

"Are they that fascinating?"

"To me, you all are. A new environment, a new planet, new allies who are so different yet so alike us. I find it rather refreshing."

"Hmm."

"I was an explorer, viewing new worlds and making contacts where appropriate. This planet has always been a favorite and somehow I keep ending up back here."

It was true enough, just not the whole truth.

Humans were such adaptable creatures, taking in stride what would cause many others to stumble and fall. Watching the yellow and black youngling with his human charge she smiled, some even thrived.

She came out of her reverie to find the medic staring at her.

"Hmm?"

"Just how old are you?"

CLANG!

The bots in the yard turned to the sight of the infamous medic clutching his head and looking at the red and gold femme.

"Were you taught no manners as a sparkling, or do you just drop them when faced with a femme?"

Sideswipe, who had been helping move some pallets for a group of soldiers, watched in awe as the new femme managed to have Ratchet the Hatchet looking guilty and contrite in one move.

He thought he might now understand the human saying 'love at first sight'.

"I think I like that femme."

"Don't let the others hear you say that."

"Only after I introduce her and explain."

"Might work."

Two mechs watched the scene, rather amused to see the stern wrench-wielder being chastised like a sparkling.

"You making a copy of this?"

"I catalogue everything with the new arrivals to make a profile and help ease them into life here."

"In triplicate then?"

"Of course."


End file.
